Christopher rocker



(No Model.)

0. ROCKER. VENTILATING VALVE FOB. BARRELS.

Patented July 27, 1886.

izvazztor;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER ROCKER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONEIIALF TO BERNHARD GOEROKS AND HERMAN GOEZ, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

VENTlLATlNG-VALVE FOR BARRELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 346,385, dated July 27, 1886.

Application filed October 31, 1885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER ROCKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ventilating-Valves for Barrels, Kegs, 81-0., of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in valves, to be used for ventilating barrels,

r0 kegs, 850., and to be placed in the bung or stopper of same, or in the stave or head of the barrel or keg itself.

The many different ventilating-valves patented and invented for the purpose of admitting air to barrels, kegs, 850., and to take the place of the ordinary spigot now in general use, are very complicated, uncertain in their operation, as well as expensive, easily gotten out of order, and generally unreliable. All

these drawbacks, difficulties, and disadvantages existing in these valves have prevented their coming in use.

It is therefore the object of my invention to provide a cheap, durable, and effective articlc of manufacture which will adapt itself to general use, and be readily understood byany one, so as to be used, the article itself to be automatic in its action, and to serve as an improved air-vent for barrels, kegs, and similar 0 vessels.

To enable others to fully understand the same, reference is had to the accompanying drawings,which,when taken together with the following description, will fully describe the 5 same.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the middle of a barrel or keg, showing my improved ventilating-valve at tached to a bung. Fig. 2 is a vertical section 40 through a hung with my improved ventilating-valve attached, the latter being also shown in section. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the "ventilating-valve on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

A is a stem with a central bore, a. This stem A is preferably cast of brass, and has the threaded upper end for the reception of a stoppencap, O, which. when placed as indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 2, closes that end of the bore a. The lower end of the stem A Serial No. 181,539. (No model.)

is also threaded, as shown in Fig. 2, for the reception of the valve-cap B, which screws down to the annular shoulder a, cast on the stem A, so as to leave a valve chamber or space, a, for the valve 0. This valve is out from thin sheet-rubber a little smaller in its diameter than the diameter of the valve chamber a", so that a space, 0, is formed between the outer periphery of the valve and the inner face of the valve-chamber. (See Fig. 2.) This space 0 serves to allow the air to pass from above around the valve and under it, through the grooves I), cut, cast, or otherwise formed in the bottom of the valve-cap, and finally out through the hole If of the cap into the keg. The grooves 12 of the valve-cap radiate from the center of the cap, as shown in Fig. 3, and extend to inner sides of the cap. The hole I) is centrally placed and communicates with the grooves. If the valve therefor is down and rests on the bottom of the cap, a communication is still established from the outside through the bore a, space a, grooves b, and hole 0 into the keg. Should gases be contained in the keg, which press outward to escape, the valve will be lifted up by the slightest pressure from below, and close the lower end of the bore a and prevent the escape of same.

The stopper-cap C is used when shipping or handling the keg to preventleakage, &c., and should a keg be tapped late in the evening and not have its contents drawn, requiring it to lie over night, as is very often the case with beer, the stopper-cap C is used to close the bore a at the tap, so as to shut off all outside air from entering the keg, and to retain all gases within thelatter to keep the beer or other contents fresh.

\Vhen applying my improved ventilatingvalve to a bung, which is previously provided 0 with a hole, the stem is driven into said hole until the annular shoulder it comes flush against the lower face of the bung, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the shoulder a thus serving for this purpose, as well as preventing the valve-cap from screwing down too far, as already described.

To protect the stopper-cap, the bung may be provided with a recess at the top, (see Figs. 1

valve 0, valve-chamber a and stopper-cap O,

and 2,) the cap being thus protected from substantially as herein shown and described, [0

knocks by being countersunk into the bung.

What I claim is A ventilating-valve consisting of the stem A, having a central bore, a, and annular shoulder a, in combination with a valve-cap, B, provided with grooves 12, and central hole, b",

to form a new article of manufacture, for the purpose set forth.

CHRISTOPHER ROCKER. Witnesses:

CHAS. F. MEISNER, J. HENRY SCHMIDT. 

